Calvin Johnson Talks Costly Drops, Refuses To Blame Stafford [VIDEO]

The Lions once again proved they can’t handle the big lights or the expectations that come along with them. Monday night at Ford Field, Detroit had a great chance to show the nation they weren’t giving up the division without a fight. Instead, once again we are all left saying SOL — same ole’ Lions — after an 18-16 loss that more than likely kicked Detroit out of the playoffs.

Receiver Calvin Johnson even struggled.

Johnson finished the game with 98 yards, receiving on 6 receptions — which isn’t awful. However he was targeted 14 times and dropped 2 costly passes, both of which would have resulted in big gains and first downs.

“Uncharacteristic” Johnson said about his drops. “Had a good week of practice seeing the ball and for that to happen in a game, just didn’t watch the ball all the way in. It’s as simple as that.”

Asked if he was surprised that he dropped such routine catches, Johnson said “when that happens, you just didn’t look the ball all the way in. I just have to stay on it one more second.”

Johnson blamed himself and admitted that his drops stopped some early momentum that the Lions had going, but he refused to put any of that blame on Matt Stafford, his QB.

“Matt’s (Stafford) playing good, none of this falls on Matt, it’s on us as a team” Johnson said.

Johnson was flat out told by one reporter that Stafford has not played well in seven weeks but he wasn’t having it. He would not say a negative thing about the QB.

Check out the Calvin Johnson video above as the receiver rehashes one of the more bitter, gut-wrenching losses in recent Lions history.